Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 12 Senior Congress leader and eight-time MP Kodikunnil Suresh on Thursday underscored his organisational experience and broad acceptability within the party in the ongoing discussions over the appointment of a new KPCC president.
Suresh, a Dalit face of the Congress in Keralam, was responding to questions about whether he was in the race for the top organisational post following incumbent Sunny Joseph’s induction into the state cabinet as Power Minister.
Noting that the decision rested entirely with the Congress national leadership, the Mavelikkara MP said he could not predict whether he or someone else would be appointed and that the high command would announce its choice at the appropriate time.
Asked specifically whether he would be willing to take up the responsibility, Suresh said he enjoyed acceptance across all sections of the party and had successfully discharged every responsibility entrusted to him in the past.
Listing his experience, he said he had served as a Member of Parliament, Union Minister, AICC secretary, vice-chairman of the Nehru Yuva Kendra and secretary of the Congress Parliamentary Party. He had worked alongside Sonia Gandhi for 12 years as parliamentary party secretary and was currently serving as chief whip with Rahul Gandhi.
“There are no complaints against me from MPs or other leaders. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are satisfied with my work,” he said.
Suresh also said community representation and wider acceptability were among the factors considered by the Congress while selecting the KPCC president.
The Congress considered all relevant factors and did not sideline anyone, he said, adding that party president Mallikarjun Kharge himself belonged to the Dalit community.
It was the Congress that had given positions to people from marginalised communities to bring them into the mainstream of society, he said.
Suresh was speaking to reporters after offering prayers at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple here as part of the observance of the 90th anniversary of the Temple Entry Proclamation.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and Revenue Minister A P Anilkumar said the party high command would decide on the appointment of the new KPCC president at an appropriate time.
The leaders could not be expected to respond every time to media speculation, he said.
“The high command will decide when the new KPCC president should be appointed and who should hold the post. It will take a decision at the appropriate time,” Anilkumar told reporters here.
Anilkumar, a Dalit leader representing the Wandoor constituency, is considered close to AICC general secretary K C Venugopal. His name has also reportedly figured in discussions on the selection of the new KPCC president.
Venugopal, on Wednesday, had said that the party leadership was fully capable of taking a decision on the new KPCC president and announcing the appointment soon.
Speculation over the appointment has intensified after Sunny Joseph became part of the state government as Power Minister.
(PTI News)
